From the pages of special interest magazines like Skin Art, to the pages of academic journals like American Indian Quarterly, to the pages of popular magazines like Men’s Health, the representation and cultural significance of tattoos are on display in the collection of the Magazines and Newspapers Center. Each magazine’s purview directs the way its editors and journalists talk about tattoos to its readers—readers whose experiences with tattoos shape the content of the magazine, rendering each article unique to that magazine’s perspective. Yet, all examples tap into the shared themes of adorning and modifying the body to signal meaning to oneself and others, often heralding marks and scars as battle-won prizes of life experience and the bearer’s values. Drawing from bound volumes of magazines in the Center’s archives and the loose issues often on display in the Reading Room, this pop-up display both drills deeper into the theme of American Irezumi as well as demonstrates broader themes that unite tattoos across cultures.
This display connects to the exhibition Living Tattoo Traditions: American Irezumi and Beyond, on view in the Jewett Gallery Oct. 2, 2025–March 1, 2026.
LOCATION:Main Library - Magazines & Newspapers Center - 5th Fl CLASS:PUBLIC TRANSP:TRANSPARENT END:VEVENT BEGIN:VALARM TRIGGER:-PT1440M ACTION:DISPLAY DESCRIPTION:Event Reminder - Display: A Magazine for Every Interest, a Magazine for Every Tattoo END:VALARM END:VCALENDAR